Farmstand Pizza closes after 8 years

SIDNEY — After just under a decade, a Sidney favorite will close its doors.

Farmstand Pizza, 1000 Fourth Ave., will shut down on Saturday night after eight years in business.

Originally opening in February 2011, in a rural setting along Cisco Road, Farmstand Pizza moved locations multiple times before settling at Fourth Avenue in 2017.

According to Brett McConnell, co-owner along with fiancé Vicky McGlinch, the reason behind the closing is a happy one.

“We’ve been in business for eight years now and we’ve just continuously gotten more family, more grandkids, more great-grand kids, and we don’t have as much time to spend on it,” McConnell said. “We feel that it’s more important to spend time with your grandkids than it is to do what we were doing.”

McConnell said the decision was finalized about a month ago, but that he and McGlinch have been contemplating the idea for the past six months.

“We love our customers and love working there, but I have another full time job and we’ve just gotten worn out,” he said.

McConnell has worked for the Piqua Pizza Supply for about ten years, which will continue after the closing. He describes the end of the couple’s pizza-slinging era as a bittersweet one, considering the time and effort the two have put into the community.

“The customers were probably the best part of the business,” McConnell said. “You get a lot of dine-ins and you make friends that way, and the hardest part is giving up those relationships.”

The good news for the community is that the business has been bought by another restaurateur, who will be opening up shop in March.

Jason Pierce, owner of JJ’s Lunchbox in both Troy and Tipp City, will be opening his third location at the Fourth Avenue spot. While he will certainly bring his own twist to the restaurant, Pierce said he will keep one of Farmstand’s most popular items — the ice cream.

Pierce said he aims to open during the first week of March. This will be his second restaurant opening within a year, as he acquired his location in Troy during July of 2018, when he purchased Ording’s — a business that close its doors after 56 years.

“It’s awesome because there’s a good community in Sidney and I already have customers from up there coming to Troy to get our food, so I figure, why not put one there,” he said.

Pierce said he will offer a variety of food items, including some that, until now, have been unique to either his Troy or Tipp City locations.

Items that were popular at Ording’s, including strawberry pie, fried chicken, homemade deli foods, and jumbo wings, will now be available in Sidney.

Pierce said he will also be looking to hire more staff, although two Farmstand Pizza employees will stay throughout the switch.

“One of the most important things I’m trying to get out there is that we’re trying to take care of the community,” Pierce said.